Jewelry designing as a career

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Jewelry designing: a golden opportunity “The jeweler allows me to wear the sapphire blue lake on my finger, the emerald green leaves around my neck, and take the citrine sunset with me wherever I go. Jewelry has become my daytime link to nature in an office with no windows. And if I have to work late, there's nothing like diamond stars and a pearl full moon against an onyx night sky.” ~Astrid Alauda, Office With No Windows

These lines by Astrid Alauda are infused with the fragrance of honesty. Jewelry has since time immemorial been a woman’s best friend. From Jane Austen’s heroines to the empowered women in the 21st century, the enchantment with jewelry has only increased.

As the focus on augmenting one’s beauty increases, well designed jewelry is witnessing an unprecedented demand in the worldwide market. The prices of some unique, hand-crafted jewelry are literally sky high and the demand for creative use of traditional materials like gold, diamond, and silver has made jewelry designing as one of the hottest courses worldwide.

Jewelry designing: An offbeat option Jewelry designing is perhaps one of the oldest crafts that has evolved constantly over the centuries. Known not just for adding elegance but also complementing the beauty of a woman, precious stones carved with precision and adorned with expensive and mesmerizing gems are also considered an investment. If you have a talent for designing (or have a knack for mixing and matching jewelry), you may want to consider a professional course in jewelry design. Apart from working with the top fashion and jewelry houses worldwide, you will also get the satisfaction of bringing joy and happiness in someone’s life by creating jewelry that adorns the body and holds a symbolic meaning for the wearer.

With global citizens becoming more and more image-conscious and rising competition in this field, those with a professional degree in jewelry designing hold a competitive edge over others.

Love for jewels beckon Can anything be better than helping beautify someone by adorning them with your creative talent? If this sounds like your inner voice talking, then you should consider jewelry designing as a career option. A flush of creativity, a dash of originality, oodles of love and passion, and lots of hard work can make you a highly sought-after jewelry designer in no time at all. And if you succeed in creating a brand name for yourself, the sky is the limit.

A gem of a fact According to various reports and surveys, India is the biggest consumer of gold in the world with its revenues currently estimated at over $13 billion. There is more to this shining glory. India consumes 20 percent of total world gold consumption thereby making jewelry designing one of the fastest growing and evolving industry. Additionally, in India, the jewelry designing industry employs as many as 1.3 million people.

According to an expert from this field, jewelry designing was traditionally an area restricted to goldsmiths. However, this trend has changed and today a variety of people with a creative bent of mind are working successfully in this field.

The primary skill needed to make a niche for yourself in this market is an innate love for designing and a spark of creativity. Armed with these skills, you can hope to strive for a bright career. Both of these qualities mentioned above are innate and cannot be taught.

Additionally, jewelry work being essentially a precise and delicate job, finger and hand dexterity, good hand-eye coordination and splendid focus will take you a long way. This coupled with an innovative and original mind, artistic ability and fashion consciousness is enough to make you a rising star in this fast-growing field.

Adorn your designing skills with basic qualification Till a couple of years back the only way of learning the art of jewelry designing was to assist a professional in the same field and learn things from the grassroots. However, with this lucrative sector becoming more professional, a number of premium institutes have started offering diploma courses. Students interested in studying jewelry designing can take up these courses after the completion of their school.

There are numerous institutes offering short term courses also. The duration of the course can be anywhere between 3 months to 3 years. You can also opt for a degree in this field called B.tech HND. These courses help you specialize in the following areas-

• Jewelry

• Jewelry Design

• Designed metalwork and jewelry

• Jewelry and metal design

• 3D design: metals

Some of the institutes might ask you for a portfolio of your work thereby judging you on the basis of this rather than your prior educational experience. They also take aptitude tests and conduct interviews in order to finalize your admission in their respective institutes. You can also complete post-graduate studies in this field, for example, an MA in silversmithing, jewelry and allied crafts.

What truly secures your success in the field of jewelry designing is your talent, creativity and the passion you have for jewelry designing. You also need to keep yourself updated with contemporary trends as these keep changing keeping the preferences of audiences worldwide in mind.

From neckpieces to bracelets and more As a designer you can either have your own set-up formed of your own individual clients or produce designs for mass production in a company. If you are planning to have your individual set-up, then you can market your jewelry through exhibitions, fairs, and so on.

You could also:

• Produce designs to meet the requirements of a certain client or for general sale

• Produce designs which are then made by other staff (when you work for an organization)

• Work as a self-employed designer, designing and making jewelry

• Use a variety of crafts and craftsmen to make jewelry, including mounting, setting and polishing

Earning the moolah!

As a trainee in jewelry designing in India, you can start with Rs. 8, 000-Rs. 10, 000 per month. In about a year your salary would be Rs. 20, 000-Rs. 25, 000 per month. With an experience of around three to four years, you can earn about Rs. 30, 000 –Rs. 40, 000 per month.

Those working in retail stores ideally earn a commission for each piece of jewelry sold. Besides this, numerous benefits like discounts on jewelry purchases are also enjoyed by them. Glittering opportunities and industry trends Most of the factories or workshops manufacturing jewelry are small- to medium-sized and are in London, Birmingham, Sheffield, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Freelance designer/makers work from all across the globe for a global clientele.

Self-employment is also a good option for it gives you the freedom to work for yourself, setting your own rate, and working at your own pace. You can sell your designs to manufacturers or through galleries and workshops. The Crafts Council or the crafts officer of your local regional arts board can advise you on studio availability and various possible sources of funding.

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